^There was a whining toddler at my feet when this was taken.
Weight gain/loss: I've gained seven pounds so far. Compared to my last pregnancy I weigh seven pounds more now at 14 weeks, than I did then. I'm trying really hard not to think about weight gain too much.
Size of baby: Baby is about 1 1/2 ounces; 3 1/2 inches long; about the size of a lemon.
Gender: Unknown, but I feel like it's a boy.
Movement: I felt the first real flutter at 11 1/2 weeks. And I know it wasn't gas bubbles because it was while I was having an ultrasound and I saw Baby kick and felt it at the same time. I feel him/her about every day, but no movement strong enough to be felt from the outside.
Sleep: Some nights are good and some nights aren't. I've been very stuffed up every night it seems like, so sometimes I toss and turn and other nights I sleep like a baby. Oh, and the snoring is back - as Kevin so lovingly reminds me. ;) Night sweats have subsided for now because we've had a lot warmer weather so we keep the window open and I can dress cooler for bed.
Maternity clothes: All maternity clothes. A couple weeks ago I got some summer clothes at Old Navy and felt really good about them. I've started wearing them this week and apparently "the girls" have grown because some of the dresses no longer fit up top. It makes me uncomfortable and frustrated, to say the least.
Symptoms: I have experienced every symptom during this pregnancy that I did not experience with my last pregnancy.
1) Swelling. I didn't swell with Preslie. But this time my feet swell and my fingers swell. I had to get a fake wedding ring because my rings no longer fit. I normally wear a size 6 1/2 shoe and I just bought a pair of 7 1/2 sandals!
2) HEADACHES. Oh the headaches. They're horrible, and they'll last anywhere from an entire day to three days. Add a whiny 12 month old to that and it makes quite the combo.
3) Tummy aches. I can't pinpoint what food makes my stomach hurt because it'll hurt for random reasons at random times. I can be hungry and it hurts, or I can be full and it hurts. I can eat a healthy meal and it hurts or I can eat a fatty meal and it hurts. It's a lose-lose situation, folks.
4) Bloody noses. Fun times!
5) My energy returned and the nausea stopped at 13 weeks on the dot. Makes things a smidge easier to deal with. :)
6) I felt the most exhausted at week 11.
Aversions:
1) Still grilled chicken. I try to take one for the team if Kevin makes dinner with it but I just can't.
2) Sweet things. I haven't touched much candy at all this pregnancy and I'm not a huge fan of sweet drinks right now. Complete opposite from last time.
Cravings:
1) Quizno's Sonoma Turkey flatbread sandwiches with Jalapeno chips. My absolute favorite thing right now!
2) Chocolate and peanut butter, sometimes.
3) Anything salty
4) Anything fried (healthy, I know)
5) Pickles
6) Tuna sandwiches
7) Sushi
8) Mexican food
What I miss: Having myself back. First of all, I feel extremely lucky to be able to carry and bear another child. This is something some women aren't able to do and I don't take that for granted one bit. BUT...this time around has been very different - self-esteem-wise - than last time. I don't think I gave myself enough time to get my body back to where I felt comfortable before I got pregnant again. I do not feel good about the way I look now and I dread seeing pictures of myself and looking at myself in the mirror. Last time I loved being pregnancy and how my body looked. Loved. It! This time - not the same. I try not to think about it too much, but it's hard. I just look at it as a means to an end, and that end being a beautiful baby we are blessed to have.
Best moments:
1) Seeing Baby at another ultrasound at 11 1/2 weeks. He/she was a wiggle worm and so active. The doctor said she thinks the baby is more towards the outer part of my stomach because the ultrasound came out so clear; and that may be another reason I felt him/her so early.
2) Brainstorming some names based on gender. We have a name if it's a boy. Absolutely no name if it's a girl.
3) Feeling movement.
What I'm looking forward to:
1) We find out the gender on Saturday (April 26th)! I am so so excited for that.
2) Once we know the gender I can start planning the nursery and purchasing items for that.
3) Getting into an exercise routine and hoping that will make me feel a bit better about myself.
Baby Daddy: Kevin is pretty much going with the flow. He says it always becomes a little more real for him when he sees an ultrasound and can feel kicks. It makes me feel good when he asks how I'm feeling or how Baby is doing.
Big Sister: She still has no clue what's going on. Our cousin is in her third trimester and we saw her last weekend and Preslie leaned over and touched her belly. It was pretty cute and I was surprised she noticed that her belly was bigger. I'm looking forward to her doing that to my belly.
I thought doing these posts every four weeks would seem like a long time in between - but not so much! These weeks just zoom on by!
